I start out with a general
premise or one image or scene as the embryo for my novels.
For STAR-CROSSED, the premise came after I read a novel
which used sexual slavery as sexy fun and titillation.
Horrified by the book's treatment of women, I had the
evil thought--what would happen if men were the sex
slaves, not women? By switching the genders, I would be
able to make my points about the inhumanity of such
treatment and the corrosive results on a society as a
whole. I would also have one heck of a romantic adventure
setting on another planet.

I then asked myself what
kind of heroine and hero did I need to tell the story I
wanted to tell. The heroine would have to be from this
society, but against the harem system. She would have to
be brave and willing to sacrifice everything for what she
believes in, have enormous kindness and sympathy, and be
totally ignorant of men. Mara d'Jorel was born.

The hero couldn't be a
member of this society because the men on Arden are
trained from birth to be protected darlings who don't
worry their pretty little heads about anything. Something
about him, beyond his looks, would have to attract Mara
so she would consider taking a sex slave against her
moral beliefs. I made him a famous scientist in Mara's
field. ("He's not a man, he's a scientist!")

He would have to be worthy
of her emotionally by having enormous love, kindness, and
courage, but he would need some flaw which would drive
them apart. The flaw would somehow reflect the premise of
the story. I decided that he wants a woman to love him
for himself, not for his fame, looks, and wealth, and no
relationship is more shallow and less likely to go beyond
looks than sexual slavery. He would have to be insecure
and distrustful of any woman's attachment to him.
Earthman Tristan Mallory was born.

To develop my novel beyond
this point, I used the Ben Bova's (THE CRAFT OF WRITING
SCIENCE FICTION THAT SELLS) plot and character
development tools. He believes that plot is a
characterization device. You must examine your character
and find his/her one glaring weakness and attack it
through plot. The protagonist should have a complex set
of emotional problems where two opposing feelings are
struggling with each other. Emotion A vs. Emotion B. (guilt
vs. duty, pride vs. obedience, fear vs. responsibility,
etc.) He calls the conflict incompatible aims and desires.

This conflict should exist
on many levels beginning deep within the protagonist's
psyche and should well up into the conflict between the
protagonist and the other characters. Resolution of that
conflict is the story. He calls it an interior struggle
made exterior by focusing on an antagonist (not
necessarily a human enemy) who attacks the protagonist's
emotional problem.

Using these ideas of Bova,
I started jotting notes on paper about the possible
emotion conflicts within each major character and between
the characters in STAR-CROSSED. Here are some of the
things my notes suggested:

Mara & Tristan in
unfeasible power positions, a struggle to regain
equality between them.

Villainess Cadaran as
embodiment of the evil government and the evils of
the harem. Tristan's best friend Kellen must become
Cadaran's bed slave and faces the true indignities of
the harem which Mara spares Tristan from.

Kellen vs. Cadaran,
Kellen's attempts at escape -- major subplot.

Another plot conflict/subplot:
Tristan's female friend Dorian must discover that
Tristan & Kellen aren't dead, and she figures out
about harem planet and must come to their rescue.

Emotional conflict
from this: Dorian believes herself in love with
Tristan. Tristan uncertain of his feelings for
her. Dorian's presence will tear apart the
fragile bond between Tristan & Mara as his
escape releases him from Mara's control.

his inner freedom
vs. the hopelessness at being victim of an
inescapable system.

Possible small
conflicts:

Mara's housekeeper
Novia acts as spy for Cadaran.

Mara's intelligent
alien pet Floppy hates Tristan.

Mara becomes
laughingstock when she takes a bed slave because
her beloved dead mother was opposed to sexual
slavery.

Well, you get the idea. At
this point, I started my note cards. On each note card, I
put down a major scene or turning point in the central
plot of the novel. Each of these scenes gives several
important pieces of information on plot or character as
well as moving the novel forward by causing change. Some
of these scenes are obvious. The meeting of the hero and
heroine, for example.

This card said: Mara
tracks down Tristan at hospital. She is shocked at his
injuries yet attracted by his unfamiliar maleness. The
nurse tries to throw her out. Tristan drags himself out
of his coma-like state in reaction to her. Her kindness
as well as her attraction to him makes her decide that
she will fight the government to keep him alive and out
of the harem, whatever the cost.

After I finished the major
scene and turning point cards, I was able to After I
finished the major scene and turning point add cards of
events that had to happen between these events.

I also made note cards of
the subplots. (Each subplot must reflect or influence the
main plot, and must change the plot for better or worse.

I laid out the cards for
the main plot, then I tried to figure out where the
subplots would fit in with it. Most were just decisions
in plot logic. Some were decisions about pace. For
example, just after the scene where Tristan & Mara
finally admit their emotional attraction and hope for a
true future between them, I put the scene where Dorian
decides to rescue Tristan and declares her determination
to marry him. This scene adds tension, not only because
Tristan may be rescued from the evil harem (a good thing),
but also because Dorian will destroy the heroine's hopes
for happiness (a bad thing).

Normally, I write the
first three chapters at this point. Here, I learn even
more about my characters and plot, and I discover holes
in my plot logic and have to change my note card order.
After these chapters, I type out a plot summary from the
compiled note cards. I find even more plot holes which I
correct.

The most important thing
to remember is that the note cards and plot summary
aren't carved in stone. The book will change as you write
it. You must decide if that change is viable to your
overall concept of the book and its premise.

Marilynn Byerly's two
passions are writing and teaching. With a BA and MA
in English from UNC-Greensboro as well as postgraduate
work at Duke, she has taught writing, judged numerous
national and regional writing contests, reviewed books,
and written articles on writing which have appeared in
trade publications, websites, and national magazines.
She also has acted as a book doctor for established
authors.

Her science fiction, fantasy, suspense, and romance
novels and short stories have won major awards including
the National Readers Choice Award, the Sapphire, the
Write Touch, and Reviewer's Choice Awards. She has
also been named an outstanding achiever in romance by one
major romance magazine and an author to
watch by another. To learn more about her, visit
her website at http://marilynnbyerly.com.